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Alternative Therapies - Baclofen and Botox

© Sandra Nasser

Spasiticity is a typical condition associated with cerebral palsy. It effects a variety of muscle groups causing hypertone (stiffness) that can hinder mobility and daily function of living. Furthermore, over time, these stiff muscle contractions, pull on the skeletal system and can cause bone deformities. Science has discovered two alternative drug treatments to temporarily decrease muscle tone in patients. Making it easier for gaining muscle strength and stretching, increased mobility, and decreasing the chance of any bone deformities . The two drugs are Baclofen and Botulinum Toxins (Botox). In this months article, I will address the benefits of the drugs and how they work.

Baclofen may be administered in two manners. Oral (tablet or liquid) and intrathecal (pump implanted in the patient). Baclofen works by blocking the discharge of over stimulated neurotransmitters from the brain to the spinal cord causing a decrease in muscle spasticity. There is a difference in effectiveness between the oral baclofen and the intrathecal . The oral baclofen has a poor lipid solubility so it has difficulty crossing the blood-brain barrier yet it still has a mild effect. Intrathecally delivered baclofen, the effectiveness is a hundred times higher. Intrathecal baclofen pump is a round disc the size of a hockey puck. It is implanted above the belly button. Medication is then delivered inside the body via catheter to the lower spinal cord. The pump can hold up to 3 months of medication. The medication is monitored and adjusted by a programed computer to suit the patients need. Some minor reactions reported, have been light headedness, drowsiness, dry mouth and nausea and seizures with patients who have a history of epilepsy.

Botox injections are also used in the treatment of spasticity. Botox is used as a neuromuscular blocking agent. It is made up of a complex protein produced by a bacteria call Clostridium Botulinum. Unlike baclofen, which medicates muscle groups in a diffused manner (throughout all muscle groups) botox is more specified. Botox is injected into specific spastic muscle groups. Only working on the muscle it was injected into. It is also temporary, it's lasting effectiveness varies with each patient. An average of 3 to 9 months. However, there are not any known side effects in some cases patients have become immune to the drug.

Before starting any alternative therapies it is best a patient be completely evaluated by a team of doctors specializing in these kinds of treatments. If a patient is not already involved in a clinic specifically specializing in cerebral palsy treatments, they should do so. Information on neurology institutes and location, browse the United Cerebral Palsy website "http://www.ucpa.com/"

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